Snow remover



Jan. 14 1930; .1. A. FERLAND 1,743,336

SNOW REMOVER Filed March 5. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m mmmlm /NVENTO W MW ATTq/PNEY Jan. 14, 1930. J. A. FERLAND 1,743,336

snow REMOVER Filed March 5. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V ENTOfP W 4. rib/M4 QSMW A 7 TORNEY Jan. 14,1930. J. A. FERLAND 1,743,336

SNOW REMov-ER Filed March 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I]: i l .IiZJKZTL:

Mvavwe W WM ATTONY Patented Jan. 14, 1930 {1 FFIC JOSEPH A. FERLAND, OF NORWOOID, MASSACHUSETTS SNOW REMOVER Application filed March 5,

This invention relates to an apparatus for removing snow, dirt, or other dbris from streets, and the object of the invention is to provide a tractor having a forward extension carrying a snow-removing device into which the snow can be readily loaded as the tractor moves forward, and from which the snow can be easily discharged.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character with a body to receive the snow which can be tilted about an axis located adjacent its forward end so that the bottom thereof may be normally supported in substantially horizontal position during the loading of the snow and tilted to inclined position for the purpose of discharging the snow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a travelling endless carrier alternatively operable to move the snow rearwardly and forwardly when the body is in horizontal or inclined position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extensible shovel slidably mounted upon the extension of the tractor frame with means for moving the same into operative position relatively to the front end of the body, or to inoperative position beneath the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanisms operable by the power of. the tractor and in convenient control of the operator, respectively, (1) for moving the shovel to and from operative position; (2) for tilting thebody; and for controlling the direction of movement of the travelling endless carrier.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanyin drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in vertical longitudinal section, of an apparatus embodying the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the snow removing partof the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of the 1928. Serial No. 259,351.

mechanisms, illustration of the tractor being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view illustrating the relation of the mechanisms for raising and lowering the bodyand for extending and retracting the shovel;

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the mechanism for tilting the body;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view, partially broken away to illustrate the mechanism employed in moving the shovel to and from Operative position;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail View of the mechanism for actuating and controlling the endless conveyer;

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating themechanisms by which the operator controls the direction of movement of the endless carri.er,and which is also illustrative of similar operating mechanism for controlling other mechanisms fro within the cab of the tractor; and,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view, mainly in vertical section, and similar to a portion of Fig. 1, illustrating the shovel in retracted position, and showing it in operative position in dotted lines.

A preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a tractor havingits frame extend.- ed forwardly with the body of the snow removing device pivotally mounted upon the front end of such extension, with means for tilting the body from and toward substantially horizontal position, an extensible shovel slidably mounted upon the frame eX- tension with means operable when extended beyond the end of the tractor frame to position the shovel in operative relation to the body, and an endless conveye r" having its upper lead engaging or lying in proximity to the bottom of the body with means, under the control of the operator, for actuating said endless conveyer in such a man ner as to carry the snow rearwardly in the body during the loading operation when the bottom of the body is substantially horizontal, or toward the open front end of the body to discharge the load, the latter-operation taking place preferably when the body drivers seat,- located at the rear of the ve-' The purpose of this arrangement is hide. to enable the front of the vehicle to be provided with an extension for supporting the snow removing apparatus. All of the controlling mechanisms are actuated through rods 13 which extend into the cab in convenient reach of the operator. The frame of the tractor is provided with an extension which supports the body 12 and all of the mechanisms comprising the snow removing apparatus. 7 y a H The body 12 comprises a bottom, two sides and a closed rear end, the front being open. This body is pivota-lly mounted at its front end upon a shaft 16 which is journaliled in suitable hearings on the front end of the forward extensionof the frame of the chassis, and is driven by suitable *worm gear mechanism including worm gears mounted upon the ends of the shaft. The shaft has fixedly secured to it near its ends sprocket Wheels 18 and similar sprocket wheels 18 are secured to a shaft 17 which is mounted in bearings extending downwardly from the bottom ofthe body in proximity to its rear end. Anendless "conveyer having lags .20 passes over these sprocket wheelswth the upper lead of the conveyor engaging or 111 proximity to the upper face of the bottom 14 of the body with the lower lead of the conveyor below the bottom.

Means are provided which are alternativelv operable to drive the conveyor an; oppo site directions so that when driven in one direction the snowwzi'll be carried from 1the front end of the scoop to the rear the loading operation, and when driven in the other direction will move the snow from the rear toward the front to aid the unloading "thereof.

is connected to thelower end-of lever 26*,

(see :Fig. 9), the supper end of which lever is connected to one of the controlling links 513 which extend into the :cab. The shaft v27 is provided :at its ends with gears 28 and .2 9 whidh'engage complementarygears upon shafts 80 having at their opposite ends iwoiunswliicli engage the worm wheels tBy reason of thisiconstruction it will be obvious that when the :operatorectuutes the the Zo-ody.-

control rod 26, to cause engagement between the gear 23 and the gear 22, the endless belt may be moved in a direction to cause the lags thereof to move toward the rear of the body to aid in the loading operation, whereas if the controlling mechanism is so operated as to cause the gear 24 to engage the gear 22 the direction of movement of the endless carrier will be reversed and will aid in the unloading of the snow. If the controlling :mchan-ismis so actuated as to remove both gears 23 and 24: from engagement with the gear 22, the endless conveyor will remain at rest. I

During loading; the body should remain in horizontal posit ion while removal of the snow from the body will be facilitated if the rear end of the body {is tilted upwardly. The mechanism for accomplishing this :pm'pose comprisescu-rved racks 31. (see 1 and a boss extending forwardly from the yerticalstandard and is provided with a worm 3 7 which engages a worm gear upon-a transverse shaft 38, the opposite ends of which are provided with sprocket wheels 39. A sprocket chain 40 is actuated by-each sprocket gear 39 to rotate a sprocket wheel which is fixedly secured to the shaft 42 and thereby to rotate the gears 4-3 which engage the rack 31. y 7

The mechanism for shifting the gears 83 and S4 into'or iout'of engagement with the gear 35 comprises a forkor yoke-shaped lever similar to the lever 25 above described and which is provided with an armto which one of the controlling rods 13 is connected, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be obvious that when the gear 33 is placed in mesh with the gear 35; as illustrated in Fig. 5, rotation of the shaft 21will rotate the shaft 36 in a direction to causethe rotation of the gear 43 to raise the rearend of the body 12 and thereby tilt itto discharging position, whereas engagement of the gear 34 with the gear 35 will-causethe gem-431 rotate in the opposite direction and thereby lower the body to horizontalposition. I

One of the principal objects of the invention is toprovide an extensible shovel which,

when in operative position, will deliver the snow into th front 'endof the body12 as the tractor movesforward, but which can 'be'withdrawn from operative position beneath the body when the snow :isto be unloaded from As illustrated in the accompanying drawings the shovel comprises a frontsection in the form of a fiat plate which desirably is provided with a serrated or toothed front edge 53 to engage the ground. The plate 50 is pivotally connected at its rear end to the front end of a flat plate 54 and the opposite end of the plate 54 is pivotally mounted upon blocks 55 which are slidably mounted in ways upon the forward extension of the chassis frame.

The blocks 55 are moved in their ways by long screws 56 which are actuated by mechanisms hereinafter to be described to move the shovel intooperative position beyond the end of the body, or into inoperative position beneath the bottom of the body. A. spiral spring 57, which is connected at its respective ends to the plates 50 and 54, provides means for causing the plates to buckle about their hinged connection into a position in which the plate 50 is adapted to direct the snow into the body, but permits the plates to be extended into substantially the same plane when the shovel is to be retracted beneath the body.

The mechanism for extending the shovel into operative position or for withdrawing it into inoperative position beneath the body comprises a beveled gear 60 upon the shaft 21, (see Fig. 7) which is adapted to be selectively engaged by gears 61 and 62 which are slidably feathered upon shafts 63 and 6d and are controlled by a yoke-shaped lever 65 having an arm which is pivotally connected to a link 66 which in turn is connected to one of the controlling rods 13 in any suitable man ner' as through lever mechanisms such as is illustrated in Fig. 9.

The shafts 63 and (i l are provided at their outer ends with bevel d gears 67 and 68 which mesh respectively with complementary beveled gears 69 and 70 upon toe screw threadedrods 71 and 72 which engage the blocks A sprocket chain 7 3, which engages suitable sprocket wheels upon the rods 71 and 72, serves to rotate them in unison whether driven by the gears 62 or 63.

By virtue of this construction it will be obvious that when the gear 60 is in engagement with the gear 61, as illustrated, the rods 71 and 72 will be rotated in a direction to move the blocks 55 toward the front end of the vehicle, thereby moving the shovel beyond the end of the body. As the shovel is thus moved forwardly the spring 5? acts to buckle the two sections 50 and 54 upwardly so that the rear edge of the section 50 will extend in close proximity to the front end of the body, while the section 54 of the shovel will be in a substantially vertical position and may engage the end of the body. When in this position and the tractor moving forwardly t e snow will be forced upwardly along the section 50 of the shovel into the body. The end less conveyor may then be operated in a direction to carry the snow rearwardly toward the rear end of the body, thereby enabling the body to be properly loaded.

5. hen the loading operation is completed the lever 65 may be actuated to bring the gears 62 into mesh with the gear 60 thereby rotating the screw threaded rods 71 and 72 in the opposite direction, thus withdrawing the blocks 55 rearwardly and causing the section 5d of the shovel to enter the guideways. Upon continued movement the sections of the shovel will be brought toward alinement, this being permitted by the stretching of the spring 57. The retraction of the shovel may be continued until it is withdrawn into the position illustrated in Fig. 10.

While the load is being transported by the tractor all of theselectively operable gears will remain in neutral position. When the destination is reached and the load is to be discharged, the gear 33'is placed in mesh with the gear 35 to cause the rotation of the gear 4&3 to raise the rear end of the body and tilt the body into discharging position. The lever controlling the gears for actuating the endless conveyer may then be actuated to cause the gear 2 to engage the gear 22 and actuate the endless carrier in a direction to aid in unloadingthe snow.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new,'and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor, a body to receive the snow mounted upon the front end thereof, an extensible shovel formed in sections pivotally connected together, means for supporting the shovel beneath the body, means for moving the shovel beyond the front end of the body, and resilient means operable to position the shovel sections in angular relation with the front section of the shovel inclined to deliver snow into the open end of the body.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor having a forwardly extending frame, a body to receive the snow pivotally mounted atits front end upon said frame, an extensible shovel slidably mounted beneath said body, means for moving the shovel into operative position beyond the end of said body, and means for pivotally moving said body from substantially horizontal position to an inclined position to aid in removing the load.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor having a forwardly extending frame, a body to receive the snow pivotally mounted at its front end upon said frame, an extensible shovel slidably mounted beneath said body, means for moving the shovel into operative position beyond the end of said body, means for pivotally moving said body from substantially horizontal p0- ,sition to an inclined. position to aid in removing the load, and means Within said body selectively operable to move the snow toward the rear of the body during the loadingthereof, or toward the front of the body during unloading.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor having a forward Vextension, a body having an open front end to receive the snow mounted upon said extension, a shovel formed in sections slidably mounted beneath said body and means actuated by power from said tractor, selectively operable under the control of the operator, to move said shovel into operative position with respect to the open front end of said body, or to withdraw it into inoperative position beneath said body.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor having a forward extension, a body having an open front end to receive thesnow pivotally mounted atits front end upon said extension, a shovel formed in sections slidably mounted beneath said body, and means actuated by power from said tractor, selectively operable, under the control of the operator, to move said shovel into operative position with respecttto the open end of the body, or to withdraw it into inoperative position beneath said body, and means actuated by the power from said tractor selectively operable, under thecontrol of the operator, to tilt said body from substantially horizontal loading position to inclined load-discharging position.

6.. An apparatus of the class described comprising a tractor having a forward extension, a body'having an open front end to receive the snow mounted upon said extension, a shovel formed in sections slid'ably mounted beneath said body and means actuated by power from said tractor, selectively operable, under the control of the operator, to move said shovel into operative position with respect to the open front end of said body, or to withdraw it into inoperative position beneath said body, an endless conveyer mounted on the bottom of said body, and means actuated by power from said motor selectix ely operable, under the control of the operator, to cause said endless conveyer to move in a direction to carry the snowtoward the inoperative position beneath said body, and

means actuated by the power from said tractor selectively operable, under the control of the operator, to tilt said body from substantially horizontal loading position to inclined load-discharging position, an endless conveyer mounted on the bottom of said body, and means actuated by power from said tractor selectively operable, under the control of the operator, to cause said endless conveyer to a move in a direction to carry the snow toward the rear end of said body when loadingor to force saidsnow toward the open front end of said body during unloadin JOSEPH K. VFERLAND. 

